The great rhetorical questions of our times.

Sometimes, I feel like I had a really awesome day because I got around to mopping the floor. Is this reason to celebrate, or a mark of how unproductive I have become? And is it horrible that accomplishing this one thing makes me feel like I've fulfilled my chore quota today? (Never fear. The gnawing doubt that mopping the floor qualifies me as Martha Stewart drove me to finish folding the laundry as well. So we chased away any residual guilt.)

I'm afraid Madeline is on the verge of giving up naps. Mostly because she'll still sleep a few hours usually, but not until at least 2 or 3 pm, and usually because I coerce her into it. And then she wants to stay up later. I let her because I don't want to give up MY afternoon naps. Is this bad parenting? Is this going to backfire on me when she decides to quit humoring me around November 7th and I lose my afternoon respite and my solid eight hours every night all in one fell swoop?

I am sort of having the same dilemma with potty training. In some ways, Madeline is showing every sign of being ready to attempt it. But she's really, really stubborn and refuses to let me call the shots. If she wants to sit on the potty all day, she does. But if she doesn't want to poop in the toilet, no amount of bribery will change the situation. So I kind of want to put it off until after we're acclimated to a new sister. Is it bad of me to put off potty training for my own sanity? Is my two-year old exercising too much power in our household?

These are the musings of a bewildered mother. Thanks for listening. Let's move on to September so that when I tell people I'm having a baby in two months it's actually true. So long, August.